Refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 2, 1943; D. H. REEVES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1941 INVENTOR. Duh 44D M Plays-s.

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INVENTOR.

D. H. REEVES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dan/41 6. Pas v55.

Feb. 2, 1-943.

D. H. REEVES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Feb. 2, 1943.

Filed April 25, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Dan/4.4.0 6 P5: V415.

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Patented Feb. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Donald H. Reeves, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 390,373

9 Claims. (01. 62-116) This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to household refrigerators.

There are at present some refrigerators provided with a food storage chamber, the interior of which is cooled through walls thereof. Inasmuch as the public demands ice freezing facilities in refrigerators, it is necessary to provide a refrigerated chamber, cooled through walls thereof with a freezing compartment within the food storage chamber because it is undesirable to cool the walls of the chamber to such low temperatures. In structures of this type wherein freezing provifreezing compartment of the refrigerator chamber in intimate thermal contact with the part of the sions are made, it is desirable to substantially I isolate the freezing compartment from the air within the food storage chamber in order to reduce to a minimum the accumulation of frost or ice on the freezing evaporator. However, in spite of this isolation of the freezing evaporator from the relatively warmer air of the food storage chamber, frost will accumulate on walls of the freezing evaporator necessitating periodical defrosting or removal of frost from the evaporator, I, therefore, contemplate an arrangement whereby the evaporator, utilized for freezing water, desserts, etc., in such refrigerators, may be readily removed from the refrigerated chamber and quickly defrosted by application of artificial heat thereto exteriorly of the refrigerator cabinet and without altering the operation of a closed refrigerating system associated with the cabinet. One object of my invention is to provide an improved multi-temperature household refrigerator. Another object of my invention is to provide'an improved multi-temperature refrigerator wherein the interior of the food storage chamber is cooled by circulating cold air over the walls thereof and wherein a freezing compartment within the food chamber is cooled to a low temperature by a secondary refrigerating circuit. A further object of my invention is to cool the air circulated over or around the walls of a food storage chamber by an evaporator of a primary primary evaporator closing the opening in the wall of the chamber so that the circuit forming means may be removed from the refrigerator and heat applied thereto in order to defrost that portion of the means upon which moisture collects in the form of frost.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig.1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a refrigerator cabinet constructed in accord ance with my invention and showing certain elements of a primary refrigerating system diagrammatically associated with the cabinet;

Fig.- 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the refrigerator cabinet taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing air cooling fins located within an air duct;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing a portion of a secondary refrigerating circuit forming means clamped in contact with a part of the evaporator of the primary refrigerating system;

' Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing the secondary refrigerating circuit forming means removed from the primary evaporator; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the means or structure which forms the closed secondary refrigerating circuit in the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. l, I have shown a refrigerating apparatus in the form of a refrigerator cabinet l0, having outer metal panels or walls I I, and provided with an inner metal liner member 12 forming walls of a food storage chamber 14 therein. A second liner member [6 is spaced from the inner liner 12 to provide an air passage 11 between the liners. Liner members 12 and I 6 both have a large opening therein, the peripheries of which register with one another and with a wall of an access opening for chamber 14 provided in the cabinet I 0. This chamber access opening is normally closed by an insulated door structure 18. Suitable insulating material [9 bounds the liner [6 or is disposed between liner IG and the outer walls ll of cabinet 10. The interior of chamber 14 may be provided with conventional vertically spaced apart shelves for supporting food products adapted to be stored therein.

Inner liner l2 has an opening provided in its back wall above and adjacent to the-bottom wall thereof. An evaporator, generally represented by the reference character 2|, of a closed primary refrigerating system associated with cabinet ||l normally closes this opening in the back wall of liner l2 so as to expose a part or one wall of the evaporator to the interior of a compartment 23 provided within chamber 14. This compartment 23 is provided by a partition or plate 24 extending across the interior of chamber l4 and mounted upon angle iron supports 26 secured to the walls of the chamber. A closure member 21 is pivotally mounted upon cabinet I, as at 28, and closes the front of compartment 23. A resilient gasket 29 secured to the top and side edges of member 21 abuts against the front edge of plate 24 and against upright side angle irons.3| (see Fig. 4) to substantially isolate the air within compartment 23 from the air within chamber l4. A metal member 32 pivotally mounted, as at 33.

transferring heat from the air in passage H or duct 51.

on the closure member 21, is provided with an"; elongated slot 34. The slot 34 receives a stud 36 therein which stud is secured to the side wall of liner l2. Member 32' limits the movement of closure member 2'! to a horizontal open position and therefore, the member 21 serves as a trans-.

fer ledge at the frontof compartment 23 when. the same is in open position. A spring 31 hav-' ing one of its ends attached to the closure member 21 and having its other end secured toa stud 38 mounted on the side wall of liner l2 insures duct 59 to refrigerant contained in the evaporator 2|. An opening 63 provided in plate 51 at the center of the bent portion 58 serves as an outlet for air flowing into the bottom of air An outer plate 64 is secured in any suitable manner to the plate 56 of the removable insulated wall structure portion of theback wall of cabinet l0 and has a bracket 65 thereon which supports an electric motor 66. Motor 66 is provided with a shaft 61 which extends through the plates 64, 56 and 55 and which has its end 68 7 projecting through the opening 63 in plate 51. I A fan 69 mounted upon the end 68, of motor shaft 61, is disposed in the space between the liner member l2 and plate 51 provided by the bent portion 58. The evaporator 2|, fan 69, motor 66 and the plates 55,

liner l6 away from the back wall of cabinet ID as return of the-closure member 21 to its closed f position. Y

The evaporator-2| comprises two sheet metal members 4| and 42 (see Fig. 3) spaced apart intermediate their edges to provide a refrigerant evaporating chamber 43 and having their edge portions bonded together to. close the chamber 43. A sheet metal fin structure 44 is disposed within the chamber 43 and this fin structure is bonded to the members 4| and 42 to increase the structural strength of evaporator 2|. The evaporator 2| is provided with a refrigerant inlet having a pipe46 connected thereto and which pipe v leads from a suitable or conventional restrictor 41. Evaporator 2t also has an outlet in the upper portion thereof connected by apipe48 to a sealed motor-compressor unit 49. Refrigerant evaporated within the evaporating chamber 43,

I of evaporator 2|, is drawn through the return.

pipe 48, into the unit 49 whereby the compressor thereof compresses the gaseous refrigerant and forwards same under pressure to a condenser 5|. The compressed refrigerant is cooled and liquefied'in condenser 5| and is forwarded by a pipe 52 to the restrictor 41 which controls the flow of liquid refrigerant into evaporator 2|. Starting and stopping of motor-compressor unit 49 may be'controlled in any desirable or conventional manner. It will be noted that the gaseousreirigerant return pipe 48 is provided with sevthrough the edge portion of plates and 51 and normally held in' place .within the opening provided in the cabinet back wall by bolts or the like 1| (see Fig. 1) which compress a resilient gasket .12 (see Fig. 3), carried by the evaporator 2|, against the edges of the opening provided in the liner l2. The gasket" seals the opening in liner |2about the evaporator 2| to isolate air within chamber M or compartment 23 from the air within the air passage It will be noted that the metal plate 42, of evap- 1 orator 2|, has a part thereof, disposed in the opening in liner I2,"exposed to the-interior of compartment 23. Threaded studs 13 project through the edge of plate members 4| and 42 of evaporator 2| and extend inwardly'of the back Wall of liner |2 into the compartment 23 (see Fig. 3). A closed secondary refrigerating circuit a forming means, generally represented by the reference character 16, is mounted within the compartment 23 of chamber I4. This secondary refrigerant circuit forming means 16 comprises two eral loops closely adjacent evaporator 2|! and which loops are disposed in contact with loops formed in the pipe 52 adjacent the restrictor 41 and, therefore, the cooled evaporated refrigerant leaving evaporator 2| is utilized to precool liquid refrigerant entering the restrictor.

Evaporator 2| is carried by a removable insulated wall structure which closes an opening in and forms a part of the back wall of cabinet Hi. This insulated wall structure comprises slabs of wood 54 forming a frame having inner and outer metal plates 55 and 56, respectively, secured thereto. A plate 5'1 spaced from plate 55 has its superimposed sheet metal plates 11 and I8 welded or otherwise suitably bonded together. Each plate 11 and 18 of the double walled structure 16, includes a horizontal portion and a vertical portion and the lower plate 18 is provided with corrugationsor depressions which, when the plates; w are bonded together at their edges and intermediate the depressions, form refrigerant passageways between the plates. For example, plate 18 has a depressed portion 8| in the vertical part thereof spaced from plate TI to provide the secondary refrigerating circuit with a refrigerant,

condensing portion (see Fig. 5) and a plurality of depressions or corrugations 82 in the horizon tal part of plate 18 provides the circuit with a refrigerant evaporating portion. Two short depressions 83 provided in plate 18 form conduits for connecting the refrigerant condenser portion 6| of structure or means 16 with the refrigerant evaporating portion 82 thereof and two larger and longer depressions 84 in plate 18 form conduits for connecting the refrigerant evaporating 7 portion 82, of means '16. with the condenser 8|.

56, 51 and 64 are all removable outwardly of the opening provided in oration.

- removably or detachably clamps the secondary refrigerating circuit forming means or structure 16 and particularly the refrigerant condensing portion 8| thereof in intimate thermal contact with the plate part 42 of the primary evaporator 2| which is exposed to the interior of compartment 23.

In operation of the apparatus, motor 66 may be continuously operated or it may be operated only when the motor-compressor unit 49 is operated to cause fan 69 to draw air into the air duct 59 from the bottom of air passage I1 and circulate same over the fins 6|. The fins 6|, being in metal-to-metal contact with the wall 4| of evaporator 2|, cool this air. The cooled air is drawn by fan 69 through the hole 63 in plate 51 and is forced upwardly in the air passage l1 around the upper part of the back wall of inner liner l2 and over the top wall of this liner to cool the interior of food storage chamber I4 through its walls. Continued operation of fan69 causes air to flow downwardly in the air passage I! over the side walls of liner l2 and into the air duct 59. The evaporator 2|, of the primary refrigerating system, in addition to cooling the fins 6| to cool air for circulation within the air passage I! as described, also cools the refrigerant condensing portion 8| of the sheet metal secondary refrigerating circuit forming structure 16. Thus, volatile refrigerant within the secondary circuit and particularly in the-portions 82 thereof evaporates and flows through the conduits 84 into the condenser 8| where it is cooled and liquefied by the low temperature of evaporator 2|. The cooled condensed liquid refrigerant flows from condenser 8| through the conduits 83 back into the refrigerant evaporating portion 82 for re-evap- The horizontal portion of means 16 serves as a refrigerated support for ice trays adapted to contain water to be frozen or serves to support frozen foods, such as fish, meats, berries and the like, within compartment 23. By the direct metal-to-metal contact. of the secondary refrigerant circuit forming means over a substantial area of evaporator 2|, a freezing temperature corresponding to the temperature of pri- ,mary evaporator 2| can be maintained within the evaporating portion 82 of the secondary circuit.

, Thus compartment 23 is maintained at a temperature below that at which water, freezes while the interior of chamber l4, being indirectly cooled by cold air through its walls, is maintained at a temperature above the temperature at which water freezes.

Since the horizontal evaporating portion 82 of the secondary refrigerant circuit forming means I6, is maintained below the freezing temperature of water, this low temperature causes any moisture contained in the air within compartment 23 to collect thereon in the form of frost. Therefore, it is necessary, in order to obtain maximum efficiency from the secondary refrigerant circuit,

to periodically remove frost from the walls of the refrigerant evaporating portion of the secondary circuit forming means or structure 16. It is'desirable to carry out this defrosting operation as.

quickly as possible and without interrupting or altering the operation of the primary refrigits supports erating system. Thus, when it is necessary to remove frost from walls of the circuit forming means or structure 16, partition 24 may be removed'from its support 26 (see Fig. 4) so as to provide access to the thumb or wing nuts 89 on studs 16. Thereafter these nuts 83 are removed from studs 13 to permit the secondary refrigerant circuit forming means or structure 76 to be withdrawn from the studs 13 and removed from compartment 23 outwardly of chamber H. The means or structure 16 may be placed in the sink and permitted to warm by thetemperature of the room in which the cabinet I0 is located or water may be caused to flow thereover to more quickly melt the ice or frost from its walls. After all of the ice and/or frost is removed from the secondary circuit forming means, it may be repositioned over studs 13 and the nuts 89 threaded upon the studs to again clamp thecondenser portion 8| of the means or structure 16 in intimate thermal contact with the part of the primary evaporator 2| exposed to the interior of compartment 23. Thus, the secondary refrigerant circuit is quickly rendered operative to again carry out its production of a refrigerating eifect within the horizontal portion thereof. Shelf or partition 24 is, of course, replaced upon 26, to again divide the compartment 23 from the chamber ll. Frozen foods or other products supported by the means 16, are preferably placed within chambe l4 during the defrosting of ice from the walls of the structure 13. By providing a secondary refrigerant circuit for freezing substances and for the storage of frozen foods within the refrigerator cabinet In, it will be understood that I have eliminated the necessity of warming the entire chamber of the refrigerator when defrosting of the freezing ele- -ment is to be carried out. In this manner, I

provide a refrigerating apparatus wherein the freezing evaporator thereof may be readily removed from the refrigerated compartment and quickly defrosted by application of artificial heat an improved multi-temperature household refrigerating apparatus wherein the one compartment of the cabinet chamber is maintained at a high temperature and high humidity, while another compartment thereof is maintained at a low temperature.

' While the formof embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having a food storage chamber therein, an evaporator of a primary refrigerating system for cooling said chamber to a temperature above the temperature at which water freezes, means forming a compartment within saidchamber, means within said compartment for normally maintaining the interior thereof at a. temperature below the temperature at which water freezes, said lastnamed means forming a closed secondary refrigerant circuit having a refrigerant condensing portion in intimate thermal contact with a part of said primary evaporator and a refrigerant evaporating portion upon which moisture collects in the form of frost, and said secondary circuit forming means being detachable from said primary evaporator and removable from said compartment whereby frost may be melted therefrom by application of heat thereto exteriorly of said chamber.

, 2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinethaving a food storage chamber therein, an evaporator of a primary refrigerating system for cooling said chamber to a temperature above the temperature at which w'a- ,ter freezes, means forming a compartment withcollects in the form of frost, and said refrigerant condensing portion of said secondary circuit forming means being detachable from said primary evaporator to permit removal of said secondary refrigerant circuit forming means from said compartment whereby frost may be melted from the refrigerant evaporating portion thereof by application of heat thereto exteriorly of said chamber.

3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having an inner liner member forming walls of, a food storage chamber therein and another liner member bounded by insulating material spaced from said inner liner member and forming therewith an air passage along the walls of said chamber, said inner liner member being provided with an opening in one of the walls thereof, a primary refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator disposed within said air passage for cooling the interior of said chamber, said evaporator: having a part thereof closing the opening in said inner liner wall to seal the interior. of said chamber from communication with said air passage, means forming a closed secondary refrigerant circuit, said means being disposed withinjfsaid chamber and including a refrigerant evaporating portion and a refrigerant condensing portion, the refrigerant condensing portion of said closed secondary circuit forming means being in; intimate thermal contact with said part of saidprimary evaporator, and said circuit forming", means being detachable from said part of said primary evaporator and removable from said chamber.

4. A refrigerating, apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having an inner liner member forming walls of a food storagechamber therein and another liner member bounded by insulating materialgspaced from said inner liner member and forming therewith an air passage along the walls of said chamber, said inner liner member being provided with an opening in one of the walls thereof, a primaryrefrigerating system associated with said cabinet. and including an evaporator disposed within said air passage for cooling the interior of said chamber, said evaporator having a part thereof closing the opening in said inner liner wall to seal the interior of said chamber from communication with said-air pascase, a sheet metal structure within said chamber and forming a closed secondary refrigerant circuit, said structure including a horizontally disposed refrigerant evaporating portion and a vertically disposed refrigerant condensing portion,

said vertically disposed refrigerant condensing portion of said secondary circuit being in intimate thermal contact with said part of said primary evaporator, and said sheet metal structure being detachable from said part of said primary evaporator and removable from said chamber.

5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having an inner liner member forming walls of a food storage chamber therein and another liner member bounded by insulating material spaced from said inner liner member and forming therewith an air passage around said chamber, said inner liner member being provided with an opening in one of the walls thereof, a primary refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator disposed within said air passage and having a part thereof closing the opening in said inner liner wall to seal the interior of said chamber from said air passage, means for circulating air in said air passage over said evaporator and around the walls of said chamber for cooling the interior thereof, means forming a compartment within said chamber adjacent the opening in said inner liner wall, means disposed within said compartment and forming a, closed secondary refrigerant circuit, said secondary circuit forming means including a refrigerant evaporating portion and a refrigerant condensing portion disposedln intimate thermal contact with said part of said primary evaporator, and said secondary refrigerant circuit forming means being detachable from said primary evaporator and removable from said compartment.

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a. cabinet having an inner liner member forming walls of a food storage chamber therein and another liner member bounded by insulating material spaced from said inner liner member and forming therewith an air passage around said chamber, said inner liner member being provided with an opening in one of the walls thereof, a primary refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator disposed within said air passage and having a part thereof closing the opening in said inner liner wall to seal the interior of said chamber from said air passage, means for circulating air in said air passage over said evaporator and around the walls of said chamber for cooling the interior thereof, means forming a compartment within said chamber adjacent the opening in said inner liner wall, means disposed within said compartment and forming a closed secondary refrigerant circuit, said secondary circuit forming means including a refrigerant evaporating portion and a refrigerant condensing portion, means for maintaining said refrigerant condensing portion of'said secondary refrigerant circuit forming means in intimate thermal contact with said part of said primary evaporator, and said last named means being constructed and arranged to permit detachment of said closed secondary refrigerant circuit forming means from said primary evaporator whereby the same may be removed from said compartment.

7. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having an inner liner member forming walls of a food storage chamber therein and another liner member bounded by insulating material spaced from said inner liner member and forming therewith an air passage around said chamber, said inner liner member being provided with an opening in one of the walls thereof, a primary refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator disposed within said air passage and having a part thereof closing the opening in said inner liner wall to seal the interior of said chamber from said air passage, means for circulating air in said air passage over said evaporator and around the walls of said chamber for cooling the interior thereof, means forming a compartment within said chamber adjacent the opening in said inner liner wall, means disposed within said compartment and forming a closed secondary refrigerant circuit, and said secondary circuit forming means including a horizontally disposed refrigerant evaporating portion and a vertically disposed refrigerant condensing portion in intimate thermal contact with said part of said primary evaporator.

8. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having an inner liner member forming walls of a food storage chamber therein and another liner member bounded by insulating material spaced from said inner liner member and forming therewith walls of an air passage extending around the top, bottom, back and two sides of said chamber, said inner liner member being provided with an opening in the back wall of said chamber adjacent the bottom wall thereof, a primary refrigerating system associated with said cabinet and including an evaporator disposed within said air passage and having a part thereof closing the opening in said inner liner wall to seal the interior of said chamber from said air passage, a fan disposed in said air passage for circulating air over said evaporator and around the walls of said chamber for cooling the interior thereof, said evaporator and said fan being located on an insulated removable wall portion of said cabinet, means cooperating with the back and side walls of said chamber and forming a compartment in the lower portion thereof, means disposed within said compartment and forming a closed secondary refrigerant circuit, said secondary circuit forming means including a horizontally disposed refrigerant evaporating portion and a vertically disposed refrigerant condensing portion disposed in intimate thermal contact with said part of said primary evaporator, and said secondary refrigerant circuit forming means being detachable from said primary evaporator and removable from said compartment.

9. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cabinet having a first compartment and a second compartment provided therein, an evaporator of a closed primary refrigerating system for cooling said first compartment to a temperature above that at which water freezes, means for maintaining said second compartment at a temperature below that at which water freezes, said means forming a closed secondary refrigerant circuit having a refrigerant condensing portion normally disposed in heat exchange relationship with a part of said primary refrigerating system and a refrigerant evaporating portion upon which moisture collects in the form of frost, and said secondary circuit forming means being detachable from said cabinet whereby frost may be removed therefrom exteriorly of said cabinet.

DONALDH. REEVES.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patmt No. 2,510,117. February 2, 19 5.

DONALD H. REEVES.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the'printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, sec-- 0nd column, line 6, for 'vided with a shaft 67 which extends through the" read --provides an air duct 59within the air passage--; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 91:11 day of March, A. D. 1911-3.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Suzi); Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

